Brutal Bentley Continental GT3 concept shown in Paris

The beast you see here is a GT3 racing concept car that Bentley brought to the 2012 Paris Motor Show. Based on the recently launched Contental GT Speed the machine is part of an FIA-sanctioned development process to get Bentley back into competitive motorsport after a break of 10 years. With rear-wheel drive, stripped interior and some extensive aero the vehicle abandons luxury and refinement for some serious attitude.

"The clear message from our customers is that Bentley belongs on the racetrack, and the Continental GT3 is the realization of a dream we've had ever since the launch of the Continental GT," said Dr Wolfgang Schreiber, Bentley's Chairman and Chief Executive. "The new GT Speed is the perfect car for us to develop into a racer, and our work so far has shown huge potential. The Continental GT3 is set to show the world what the Continental GT is capable of in its most extreme form, and establishes a solid foundation for Bentley's long-term motorsport plans."

The car is still a concept for the moment as Bentley has to decide which motor to drop in the nose depending on which race series it intends to enter – the 4.0 liter V8 or the 6.0 liter W12. Either way, one can only imagine the eventual noise erupting from the side-mounted exhausts as the car barrels down a straight.

Bentley suggests that there will no road-going version but you just know that after seeing this monster in the metal, certain individuals will be throwing money at it to produce precisely that.

Development of the Continental GT3 will continue over the coming months in the build-up to the start of a test program in 2013 and a return to racing at the end of the year.

Vincent Rice has been an audio-visual design consultant for almost 30 years including six years with Warner Brothers Cinemas. He has designed several large retail installations in London and a dozen major nightclubs across the world from Belfast to Brno to Beruit. An accomplished musician and 3D computer graphics artist, Vince also writes for AV Magazine in the U.K. and the Loudscreen digital signage blog. All articles by Vincent Rice